Taum Sauk Trail — Attraction in Missouri

Started at HWY 21 trail-head and went to JSI (about 20 miles). Its is very pretty, but very brutal. In some places you ascend 500+ feet over less then a mile. The path is very rocky and rugged. The views near the power lines are beautiful, the picture attached doesn't do it justice. During dry times, water could be an issue. Between the 3 of us we drank 10 l of water pretty quickly (in 7 miles), had it not rained the night we got there, i would have been concerned about finding water.

I am not sure if Taum Sauk creek can be crossed without getting wet, when we did it it just stopped raining. The water was knee deep, i walked 10 miles in wet boots, it was great.

There are primitive camp sites scatters throughout the hike (maybe a dozen or so). Areas have been cleared, firepits have been built, logs setup to sit on, There are 3 of these sites around the Taum Sauk creek, one before it, one right after it, and one about a mile east of it on the other side of another creek. I would suggest crossing both creeks before camping. If you need to get wet, do it right before you camp, vs right after. I learned that the hard way.

If I did this again, i would have used the 2 cars we took with us differently. I would have parked one at hwy 21 trail head and 1 at taum sauk park, camped there for the night, during the evening moved the car from hwy 21 to JSI. That way i could have lighted my load by about 2/3's. Carrying 40 lbs on this was not ideal.

If you can average 1 mph on this trip you are doing pretty well, some spots its no issue going 2 mph, some spots if you can do a mile in 2 hours, that's...

One of the best trails in Missouri. Mina Sauk falls is the tallest and longest natural falls in Mo. Primative campsites along the trail, which terminates at Johnsons Shut-ins btw, make camping fun and beautiful. Be prepared as there is no electric and sites are first come first serve. But the full trail is one of the most beautiful I have personally ever seen. At 11 1/2 miles, it is definable an intermeadiate trail and experienced hikers will have no problem with some preparation. For beginners, if it seems intimidating, the beginning trail from Taum Sauk has a 3 mile loop with midway point being the top of the falls. I recently did this loop with a 2 year old. And can be considered an easy trail. Try to catch the hike one to two days after a good rain to truly enjoy the falls, with some of the pools deep enough to wade in or to take a quick foot soak. A good dip for the pups if you bring them as well. Remember to follow all state guidelines for state park trails. An excellent...

This trail is not for the faint of heart. 😂 I use an app called “ALL TRAILS” and it had this one listed as HARD! It was just that! Ozark Trail was a very difficult 14 mile hike from one side of the mountain to the next. Yes, it was hard but it’s not IMPOSSIBLE! I believe all levels of hikers could complete this trail. This trail is full of rocks, beautiful views, and climbing! The Mina Sauk waterfall at the end made everything worth while! I would love to camp out here! Remember that the Ozark trail is not a loop but a point to point. You are going to want to figure out a game plan for leaving your car at the other side of the mountain. It’s a 37min drive from one side to the other. You are not going to want to hike 14 miles and then walk another few hours to your vehicle. I can’t wait to hike this...